I don't suppose you can blame him, but Qarase was allowed to leave Fiji pending a court case to visit his family and grandchildren. He now admits he is on a fundrasing tour to defray SDL legal costs, and SDL leaders Samisoni Tikoinasau and Peceli Kinivuwai will soon join him. Some 30 Brisbane Fijians attended a fundraising dinner last Saturday. The low turn out? "Many people did not want to get involved as they did not want to be seen at the event." The ABC reported Qarase as saying the interim government was ruling through fear, and that his life remains under threat from the military-led government. “I was warned by an anonymous callers that I would be killed or thrown into jail.”[This was months ago and the claim was investigated by police] Qarase also said he wanted the other 12 Forum countries to apply a travel ban similar to the "very effective" ban imposed by Australia and New Zealand. Of the Interim Government he said “Their message is ‘Agree with the regime, do what we say or else.’” Qarase's lawyer says he would only break the court order if he did not visit his family. What else he did is up to him. [Y-e-s, but wasn't he just a little deceitful in his bail extention request.] Condensed from Fiji Daily Post.
Update. Sunday's FijiLive has Qarase in Sydney at another fundraising dinner. He told Fijilive that although he is on a private visit to Australia (sic!), his party supporters there have insisted on inviting him to dinner so he could inform them of the situation on the ground back home.
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